No Laughing Matter
by gluegirl56
Summary: Nick and Kate have finally managed to settle their disagreements and begin to look forward to having their baby. Unfortunately there will be nothing peaceful and quiet in store for them as Nick gets into trouble as a direct result of helping out with a CID operation. Will Kate be able to cope with what's in store for her and will Nick be strong enough to survive? I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Heartbeat – No Laughing Matter

_Disclaimer:_ Heartbeat is not my creation and doesn't belong to me. I merely wish to play around with a few marvelous characters for a while and hopefully contribute with a good story to the archive. Maybe I can inspire someone else to write a story because there's far too few out there.

_Characters:_ I like to involve as many of the regulars as I can but it centers on Nick and Kate.

_Genre:_ Hurt/comfort, romance, angst, crime, drama, tragedy

_Time/Spoilers:_ Set in late season four

_Warning:_ The theme here might be a bit dark but the story is not messing with canon (hint)

_Summary:_ After Nick and Kate finally make up again and look forward to their unborn baby all they want is peace and quiet. However, Kate still wants to work and Dr. James Radcliffe agrees for her to come to Whitby once a week, figuring he could keep an eye on her that way. Nick, while on patrol, assisting CID, prevents a criminal from escaping. Unfortunately that action will later endanger his life leaving Kate in tears.

_Beta_: Thank you Rollieo 122 for taking time to help me out with grammar and so on ;)

OOOOOO

**Chapter One – Right on the Spot**

OOOOOO

"Right," Sergeant Blaketon said sharply as he came walking toward the duty room from his office. "I've just had a call from CID and our suspicions are confirmed," he added, turning slightly to look at Nick. "Rowan, congratulations, you were right. The man calling himself Billy Paxton is indeed someone else entirely, with a very shady side."

Phil turned to Nick with an approving expression and gave him a thumbs up.

"I was lucky," Nick offered humbly. "Had he not been involved in that automobile accident I wouldn't have investigated further."

"Even so, Rowan," Blaketon continued. "Does he seem to suspect anything?"

Nick shook his head. "No, sarge. I don't think he realises that we are on to him," he replied.

"I can confirm that," Alf said as he leaned forward in his chair. "I paid a visit to the hotel where he's booked in earlier and the clerk told me he'd rebooked and decided to stay a bit longer in the area," he explained and then turned smug. "Apparently he wanted to see more of the moors and the wildlife around here."

Phil raised one eyebrow suspiciously. "Wildlife?" he questioned. "What is there to see here except a few badgers?"

"So, who is he exactly?" Alf asked quizzically.

"Does the name Andrew Logan say anything to you?" Blaketon asked.

Ventress made a face. "Of course," he answered, not sure where his superior was going with this.

"Wasn't that the man who managed to rob the Provincial Bank down in Leeds a few years ago?" Phil spoke up as he crossed his hands over his chest, leaning back in his chair.

A smug look crossed Blaketon's face for a fleeting moment before looking as serious and demanding as ever. "So you do listen occasionally, Bellamy," he asked sarcastically, "to what is being discussed among the police channels?"

"The money was never found as I recall and Andrew Logan died terminally ill of cancer two months ago," Nick said.

Blaketon sat down at the edge of Alf's desk eyeing his officers sternly. "Exactly Rowan," he concurred. "It turns out that Billy Paxton is actually Billy Logan," he let on triumphantly.

"His son?" Phil asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, his nephew," Blaketon returned.

"So, the CID believes that Billy knows something about the money?" Nick asked curiously.

"Clever, Rowan," Blaketon remarked with a smirk. "Yes, Billy came to visit his dying uncle for a couple of times and the CID have reasons to believe that Andrew might have told him where the money is hidden."

Nick grinned like the Cheshire cat as he reached for the cup of tea standing on his desk. "It's what the strange diggings up on the Moors are all about. He used Greengrass small digs as a cover up for his own and let Claude take the blame for it," he said.

Blaketon pursed his lips together. "Greengrass has something to do with it, of that I'm sure," he replied sullenly. "Anyway, you two," he said nodding at Phil and Nick. "You're going to assist DS Lawson when he arrives here early in the morning."

Alf gave his colleagues a lazy smile but stopped short and broke into a neutral expression as he caught his superior officer giving him a glare. "Is there something that amuses you, Ventress?" Blaketon asked sharply.

"Absolutely not, sarge," the older constable assured him.

"Good," Blaketon gloated, "because you have the night shift and then I expect you to man the station tomorrow afternoon," he told him in a voice dripping with authority as he rose and began to walk the short distance to his office.

Alf made a long face and stared after him.

Phil couldn't help but chuckle. "Too bad, Alf," he teased. "I'll think about you."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nick trying to hide a smile. "What do you say about us taking a glass at the Aidensfield Arms?" Phil asked.

Nick smiled. "You just want to keep an eye on Gina," he returned smugly, knowing that Gina had been hanging around a lot with Billy for a couple of days to both George's and Phil's dismay. "Sorry, Phil," Nick excused himself, "but I promised Kate I'd come home early."

OOOOOO

"Mr. Paxton," Gina said flirtatiously as a man in his mid-thirties walked up to the counter.

He smiled at her; it was a wry smile but pretty never the less, although he looked somewhat worse for wear with the bruise on his cheek and the cut above his temple.

"I'm so glad to see you're all right," the barmaid exclaimed as he sat down on one of the chairs next to the counter. "I saw the car as it was towed in; looked awful," she added sympathetically.

"You should call me Billy, remember?" he said, slightly amused by the concern she was showing him. "And I've actually had worse but it's a shame about the car though. I really liked it."

"So," George began, not in the least impressed with the young man's slight bragging in front of his niece, "what brings you here?"

"Uncle George," Gina scolded in annoyance.

Billy couldn't help but smile at the overprotectiveness the old man was showing. "It's all right, Gina," he assured and then turned to look directly at George. "I came to ask you about the Moors."

"What about them?" George asked suspiciously.

"I've read somewhere about a place called Ranger's Canyon," Billy said, waiting for confirmation.

Gina nodded. "Yeah, it's located a few miles from the village but it's really not a canyon, more like a steep incline," she offered. "Why?"

He shrugged. "No particular reason, I just wanted to have a look around the famous places in the area," he explained.

George snorted. "I wouldn't call it famous, nothing's really happened there," he informed the other man as he turned around to get a fresh glass for another customer.

"It was a rather eccentric local man who told a London reporter a white little lie. Why is a mystery though? Anyway some people seem to take him seriously," Gina said with an undertone of annoyance in her voice as she cast a glance at Greengrass who was seated at a table not too far away.

"Hey, I heard that!" Claude piped up in protest. "It was that old chap, Lancefield who said the Vikings had been here…"

"And done what, Claude?" Gina returned. "Left some treasure behind?"

"The way you've been digging up there…" George began but was cut short by the old crook.

"Look, what Lancefield says will have to stand for him. I've got nothing to do with it!" Claude said defensively. "You're no better than Blaketon."

"You know the birdwatchers want you under lock and key for disturbing the birdlife and the travelling agency in Ashfordly has complained about how it looks," Gina told him heatedly.

"Really?" Claude replied sarcastically. "Who told you that?"

"I can't avoid hearing the gossip in here," she returned.

Claude gave her an undignified look and then rose from the table, heading toward the door. "Come on Alfred, we are not appreciated around here," he muttered.

Billy frowned as the old man walked out through the door with his dog in tow. "Is there someone digging up there?" he asked curiously.

Gina nodded and let out a long breath. "The man who just walked out, Claude Greengrass. The police brought him in earlier to question him about it," she said.

Billy looked amusedly at the barmaids annoyed stance. "When was this supposed to have happened?" he asked, fishing for information.

"Two days ago, he was spotted earlier at the same day," Gina returned. "Don't tell me you think he's innocent," she added.

"I really wouldn't know," he offered kindly and then a mischievous smile played on his lips. "Is there any chance to get you over there tomorrow?"

"Cheeky," Gina exclaimed happily.

George leaned forward on the counter. "She'll be extremely busy tomorrow, mind you," he said by way of caution.

"I'll see about it," Gina let on slyly.

OOOOOO

1/20

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – Sprung into Action **

OOOOOO

"Welcome to Ashfordly, sir," Blaketon said politely as the CID officer walked out of the car flanked by two detective constables.

DS Lawson, a man in his late forties with dark, thick hair and a fairly slim body, nodded curtly and then had a look around the courtyard of the station before turning directly to the Ashfordly Sergeant. "Thank you Sergeant Blaketon," he said.

"What action do you want to take, sir?" Blaketon asked casually, curiously as they began walking to the entrance door.

"I want all the background information there is about this and then I'll explain further," he replied.

"Sounds fair enough," Blaketon returned as they walked in. He gestured toward the two constables present in the duty room. "Detective Sergeant Lawson this is PC Bellamy and PC Rowan," he said by way of introduction.

"PC Bellamy, PC Rowan," the DS acknowledged and then waited for his companions to walk through the door. "This is DC Dobson and DC Smith," he informed.

Nods and handshakes were exchanged and then the superior CID officer spoke up again. "I understand that Billy Logan is digging in the area," he stated and his suspicions where confirmed by a collective nod. "I take it that since he's still digging he hasn't yet found what he's after," he deduced.

"No, sir," Nick spoke up, "but we believe he's going to give it another try tonight, or rather in the morning."

"That's good news, it would give us around twenty hours to set a trap and bring him in," DS Lawson replied with a slight upward curl to his lips.

OOOOOO

George looked up from where he was standing next to the toaster as Gina walked into the kitchen dressed in her night gown.

"You're not really serious about going to the canyon with that Paxton chap, are you?" George asked.

"Come on, Uncle George, he's seems nice and we are only going to look at some piece of rocks, a slope and a hill," she reasoned, like it wasn't any big deal.

The pub host harrumphed. "There's something about him, I can't put my finger on it but…" he trailed off.

Gina turned to fix him with a glare and then shook her head. "There seem to be a problem with every guy in the world when it comes to you," she complained. "He's picking me up in an hour."

OOOOOO

Kate looked up from the chair she was resting in as Nick walked through the door to the police house.

He quickly went over to her and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Hi, love, are you resting comfortably?" he asked with a pleasant smile.

She nodded and rubbed her tired eyes. "I didn't know you could be so tired carrying a baby," she complained lightly.

He chuckled as he helped her up and then took a step toward the kitchen. "You just need to keep it up for another three months or so," he replied and she couldn't help but to detect a slight tease in his voice.

"Hey," Kate protested, "it's not fun; I wish you could feel how it is."

"I can make us some tea, if it helps?" he offered lightly as he popped his head out in the living room.

Kate yawned and then slowly walked toward the kitchen. "Yeah, that sounds nice," she answered. "So, do you think you'll catch that man tonight?"

Nick looked up from the stove where he'd put the kettle as Kate carefully lowered herself down into the kitchen chair. "It looks promising," he let on.

"You know, when I treated him back on the road, at the accident side, he looked like any other young man," she mused.

"He is," Nick replied, "so far. He doesn't have a criminal record."

"Strange isn't it?" Kate said. "If he hadn't been involved in that accident with poor old Mrs. Winters no one would have taken a closer look at him. Everyone would just have assumed he was who he said he was."

Nick smiled mischievously. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked casually.

"Well, officer," she began with a smirk and opened her arms to embrace him as he handed over her tea. "I am who I am said to be; are you?"

He placed his arms around her and smelled her scent, closing his eyes thinking about how fortunate he was. "I'm an impostor in a police man's uniform," he teased lightly.

They stayed in each other's arms for a while and then looked at each other. "Nick," Kate said softly her hands still resting behind his neck. "Promise me one thing?"

"Anything, love," he replied.

"Please be careful tonight," she cautioned and the sparkling smile was replaced by a far more serious look.

OOOOOO

Jennifer Radcliffe happily rushed through the door to the surgery excited from the day's event in school. A police officer from Whitby had been there teaching them about what to do if they suspected something was out of place.

"Whoa," James cautioned but he couldn't help but smile as his oldest daughter came in like a whirlwind.

The surgery had just closed for the day and Christine was about to go home so it wasn't like she was disturbing anything.

"Sorry, dad," she said happily.

"From the look on your face I take it the day was a success," he said.

She pursed her lips as she took off her hat and hung up her bag. "It was interesting but it wasn't like he told us anything I didn't already know," she explained.

"What did you think he was going to talk about then?" James asked as they headed into the living room.

"Don't know, maybe interrogation techniques," she said and lit up. "But he was so stiff, almost boring," she continued, "Nothing like Mr. Rowan."

James frowned and cast a glance at his daughter as he eased himself down into the armchair. "Maybe policing isn't anything for you," he tried casually, hopefully.

"I think it is. I like to help people and locking up the bad guys," she reasoned, sounding older than her twelve years.

"You know," Doctor Radcliffe began seriously, "being a police officer is a dangerous job with long hours."

Jennifer made a face. "You're a doctor and you work long hours too," she said. "Anyway have you been to see Kate?"

James nodded.

Jennifer beamed. "How is she? Is the baby growing?" she asked excitedly.

"She's a bit tired but other than that she seem okay to me," he replied.

"Can I come with you next time? They live in a police house aren't they? Maybe I can help Mr. Rowan!" she said.

He looked at his daughter, her eyes sparkling, really looking forward to go to his colleague's house and it would break his heart to say no.

The doctor leaned forward in his chair and nodded at Jennifer. "Here's the deal. If you behave, do your homework and clean up around here you may come with me at the weekend," he offered.

Jennifer excitedly jumped from her chair and threw her arms around her father. "Thanks dad," she said in delight.

OOOOOO

Gina smiled happily as Billy sat down next to her, on a log, overlooking the beautiful sunset. She looked up at him as he slid his arms around her middle.

"I really enjoyed the day," Gina said joyfully, giving him an appreciative look.

"Me too," he replied finding it hard to resist her dazzling smile. "It must be the beautiful company," he added.

"Will you come over to the pub later?" she asked carefully, hopefully.

"I wish I could, Gina," he spoke up remorsefully, "but I need to go back to the hotel and take care of a few things."

"What things?" she asked curiously.

He gave her a soft smile. "It's nothing serious, just a family matter that I need to sort out," he finally relented.

For a moment Gina looked away, disappointed.

He gently took her by the chin and turned her head back to him. "Gina, it's nothing like that. I don't have a girlfriend or a baby lying in wait for me somewhere," he reassured. "It's about a lost relative."

She brightened. "Okay, will I see you tomorrow then?" she asked.

Billy's upper lip twitched with amusement. "Wild horses couldn't drag me away," he whispered softly.

OOOOOO

2/20

To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three – Playmate**

OOOOOO

DS Lawson crouched behind a large rock, a leftover from the time when an ice sheet covered most of the continent, and silently gesticulated with his hands to his detective constables to move a little.

Nick glanced disinterestedly at his watch, stifling a yawn; they had been at it for almost six hours and within the next hour or so the sun would come up.

Phil silently moved up behind Nick where he lay on his belly watching through a set of binoculars. "I don't get it," he whispered. "I thought it was just a matter of nicking him," Phil complained.

Nick stiffened slightly and made a slight adjustment to the lenses. "Keep your head down, Phil," he cautioned, "or you'll spoil our surprise."

"What?" he whispered nonplussed. "Do you see him?"

His question was answered by a nod from Nick as he reached for the mobile radio receiver and pushed the button to transmit, a new little gimmick that the CID had brought with them.

"I have a sighting, sir," he informed.

"_Well done, PC Rowan,"_ the DS commended_. "Wait for my signal,"_ he added his voice hushed.

"Understood, sir," Nick responded. He carefully rose to a sitting position and patted Phil on the shoulder indicating that he should be ready for action.

They watched as a single flashlight beam danced over the hillock in front of them in the early morning light and then disappeared behind another. Minutes later they heard a faint noise sounding like a shoveling of soil.

The radio crackled to life and the CID officer's voice sounded loud and clear through the speaker. _"We are moving in,"_ the DS commanded.

Within seconds several flashlights came to life. The two detective constables rushed in from the flank while their superior officer rushed forward, heading straight for the man with the spade.

However, despite the moment of surprise the young man where in excellent physique and easily shoved the spade at the DS, momentarily stopping him before heading off.

"Sir!" One of the lower ranking CID officer's shouted.

DS Lawson was on the ground, holding his ribs, panting. "Go!" he shouted.

Without hesitation the detective constables headed off after the young suspect.

Nick and Phil nodded at each other and after a quick silent communication the latter wasted no time sprinting after the criminal too. Nick, on the other hand, stopped by the higher ranking CID officer to make sure that he was okay.

DC Smith and Phil came up beside each other and nodded before splitting up again, surprisingly gaining ground. Nick saw them only as two black dressed men chasing a third as he was leaving a grimacing DS behind him and followed his colleagues.

After Rowan had run a few hundred metres, he froze as he saw the moon reflecting off a sharp object in the hand of the chased man. "Look out!" he hollered worriedly.

Out of pure instinct, Phil threw himself to the ground as he too saw something glimmering and had caught on to Nick's warning. Unfortunately, DC Smith wasn't so lucky, he fell to the ground with a thud letting out a surprised yelp as the man they had just been chasing quickly spun around and did a throwing motion with his right arm.

"Where did that come from?" DC Dobson demanded in astonishment as he joined them, only seconds later, coming from their left flank.

DC Smith let out a sick gurgling sound as he grabbed after the knife protruding his right side.

Phil locked eyes with DC Dobson.

The latter knelt next to his fallen colleague.

Phil got back on his feet and sprinted after the man, intent on nailing him. "Stop!" he yelled between breaths.

However, the criminal wouldn't stop; he had nothing to gain from it.

Phil was catching up, he gained ground every second and as the man suddenly decelerated he jumped him. Unfortunately Billy Logan stopped for a reason; a steep incline had been ahead of him. Before Phil registered what was about to happen they both took a tumble down the slope, entangled in each other. They continued falling for what seemed like forever to Phil, every roll hurt, setting fire to his skin, twisting his arm and battered him black and blue. Then suddenly it stopped.

Bellamy groaned as he landed next to the wanted man, head first into the grass, feeling the sand and gravel between his teeth. He gasped as he twisted around. Pain flared in his wrist and he snapped his eyes shut in agony.

Billy Logan saw this as his chance of a getaway. He rose, not without effort, to his feet and then slowly began to pick up speed again as he ran toward the road that was now visible a bit further ahead. He didn't get more than a metre or two before he was tackled to the ground. His legs buckled under him and he moaned as he ended up on his side. His arms where being twisted backwards, onto his back and then cuffed. Hands grabbed his arms gently, not as rough as he might have expected, and then hauled him up. A little dazed he turned his head only to stare at PC Nick Rowan's face.

"Billy Logan, you are under arrest for the suspicion of digging out the remains of the money from the robbery at Leeds Provincial Bank and for the attempted murder on a police officer and assault on another. You don't need to say anything but anything you do say might be used as evidence against you," Nick finished, finding it hard not to let disgust and anger seep into his voice.

There was a slight rustling and then DC Dobson appeared next to him. The detective constable let out a sigh of relief. "You caught him, thank heavens," he said.

"How are they?" Nick asked, looking at him and then over his shoulder as he saw Phil struggling to get up.

"The boss is okay but Smith is having a rough time. He needs an ambulance quick," he urged.

OOOOOO

Doctor James Radcliffe walked briskly through the corridors of Ashfordly General Hospital. He was running late back to the practice in Whitby; it was almost nine a.m. and patients were to be expected any time now. He'd barely had time to call in Christine earlier this morning to make sure that Jennifer and Susan were sent off to school. The practice had grown rather big since Kate Rowan had joined him as a colleague and now that she'd cut down on her work, at his own insistence, some days were worse than others. Then he had added the burden of helping Kate out with her patients back in Aidensfield.

Today one of Kate's patients, usually residing in Ashfordly, had collapsed and by some odd occurrence the hospital staff had called his practice rather than Kate at home. In a way he was pleased for that because he didn't have the heart to wake up a pregnant, somewhat morning sick, doctor and ask her to hurry to the hospital. She needed to stay off her feet for a while.

The patient had been diagnosed with pneumonia and his age made it a little treacherous but James had no illusions about him not getting well again as he had explained to the terrified wife only a few moments earlier.

A nurse came running after him as he headed down the corridor, towards the main entrance, glad to catch up with him. "Doctor Radcliffe," she said, "I'm so glad you could pop over. I know Doctor Rowan is pregnant."

He was about to reply when a sudden commotion in the crossing hallway caught his attention. Several windows made it possible for him to see quite far down the corridor. A scruffy looking young man came running like he'd caught fire. There was a wild but determined look in his eyes as he cast a glance into the corridor where the good doctor stood.

Only two steps behind the fleeing man, a dirtied Constable Rowan showed up. An instant later Rowan had caught up with him. James tried to follow through the windows as they had now passed the intersection but as they crashed to the floor he couldn't see them anymore.

"Out of the way!" A man in suit hollered as he gently shoved Radcliffe to the side and sprinted through the corridor and out in the intersecting one to aid Nick.

For a moment Doctor James Radcliffe just stood there, mesmerised by the whole thing and then he shook out of it and began to walk briskly toward them with the nurse not trailing too far behind.

The good doctor stepped out in the other corridor and saw the man being hauled up, in cuffs, by Nick. The man looked angry and struggled heavily as the other man, who had just arrived, moved over to help.

'No doubt a CID officer,' James thought as he still had trouble following what had just happened right in front of him.

"Stop it, Logan," DC Dobson demanded angrily as he reached over to relieve Nick. "Isn't it enough as it is?"

"Get off me!" the cuffed man spat as the detective constable grabbed him harder and Nick let go of him.

Logan turned a baleful eye toward Nick. "You are going to die for this," he seethed. The malice creeping into his voice as he addressed the police officer was raw and dangerous.

"You are going to prison," Nick countered in a no nonsense voice and then turned to Dobson. "How's DS Lawson?" he asked.

"Doctors are checking him up as we speak," he returned and jostled the criminal a bit, tightening his grip around his arm even harder than before. "I'll haul this scum back to the entrance, his ride should be here any minute now," he said bitterly, a bit rattled by the events.

Nick looked after them as the DC and the criminal began their walk toward the exit further down the corridor that Doctor Radcliffe had come from, to take a short cut to the back of the hospital.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw his wife's colleague eyeing him suspiciously. Nick turned his head to his right as he brushed off the uniform coat. "Hello, James," he acknowledged wearily.

The doctor appeared to be scrutinizing him for a moment before nodding. "Nick," he greeted, "are you quite all right?"

Nick pursed his lips together, setting his jaw. "I'm fine but my colleagues are a bit worse for wear though," he replied in a serious voice.

"Is that why you're favouring your left side?" Dr. Radcliffe asked in disbelief.

Nick grimaced ever so slightly. "It's a bruise," he explained, sounding tired all of a sudden. "It's nothing to worry about."

James reluctantly let it go but the look on his face told him he wasn't entirely convinced. "Well then, I better be off to the surgery again. Would you tell Kate I'll give her a call later on? I've been treating one of her patients," he clarified.

Nick nodded a bit distractedly.

"Nick?" James asked sounding a bit concerned. "Are you sure you're all right?"

The young constable gave him a ghost of a smile. "I've been up the whole night. I'm just tired," he assured the doctor. "I'll tell Kate."

"Rowan!" a sharp voice rang through the corridor causing both of them to turn around.

Nick sighed, seeing his sergeant further down the corridor. "Goodbye, James, duty calls," he said.

OOOOOO

3/20

To be continued


End file.
